June Fete
by Star of Airdrie
Summary: Starfire's birthday is coming up and Robin wants to plan a special day, after all, they just started going out a couple of months before when they were in Tokyo. Not just another Starfire's birthday story! Edited 6/4/2012
1. Chapter 1

_Edited 6/4/2012_

June 4th is said to be Starfire's birthday, at least according to some sources.

The basic premise is that it is the first time that Robin and Starfire have celebrated her birthday as a couple and it takes place a little under two months after Tokyo.

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC Comics and the cartoon was produced through Warner Brothers for Cartoon Network. None of these entities are for sale within my price range.**

**Warning: Rated T for safety although there is threat to the well-being of animals, as well as teens in love. You are warned.**

_Adapted from Wikipedia:_ **Fête **is a French word that is used in English. While mostly used in the USA for a country fair or other such events, the original meaning of fête is party, festival or celebration.

**JUNE FETE**

**Chapter 1**

**Birthday Plans**

The middle of May was a beautiful time in the greater Jump City area. It was warm and sunny most of the time, and the spring rains had left the area as green and lush as it ever was at any other time of the year in that part of California. But it wasn't the weather that was on the mind of Robin, the teenage leader of the group of heroes known as the Teen Titans - Starfire's birthday was June 4th and that was only a couple of weeks away and Robin wanted to make the day really special for his girlfriend. Yes, girlfriend. It was less than two months after that fateful trip to Japan and this would be the first time that they would get to celebrate as a couple.

Couple. He was still trying on the word for size.

Robin thought through a few scenarios for celebrating Starfire's birthday but none were good enough, or practical or, well, appropriate for their fledgling relationship. It shouldn't be that hard - almost any attention he gave her had always made her very happy. Tradition dictated a large party in the evening of course, either on the beach or the roof of the Tower, and more than likely the entire Titans Network would want to come. But Robin wanted to do something else, just the two of them, that showed he was paying attention, really paying attention to the things that delighted her. He simply wanted to make her birthday her best yet. She was always so thoughtful and considerate of others, and she deserved for someone to really put some thought into something special just for her.

Since their first real kiss - that one in Tokyo - they were barely getting used to being a couple. They were best friends and hopefully nothing would ever change that. Robin believed it hadn't effected anything yet. He did have to ask himself, was the kiss really the beginning, or just a milestone in an already blossoming relationship? Robin didn't think about it too long because it made him nervous and confused and a bit excited. In a good way. A good and distracting way. But there was the task at hand.

He admonished himself for over-analyzing everything again. He could not help but further consider their situation: he was grown up enough to live on his own for years now, lead a group of superheroes, but why was he worried he wasn't old enough to truly fall in love? He had told Starfire that he loved her only literally days before, but were they _in_ love? Probably the doubts came from the thought that falling in love would be considered off limits for Robin, at least it was per the Batman. Bruce Wayne, his mentor and adoptive father, had drilled it into his brain from before he started noticing girls: the difficulties, the dangers, and so on that came with their unique lifestyle. And ever since the news footage of Robin and Starfire holding hands at the heroes welcome parade in Tokyo, not more than a few days went by without some communication from the Batman.

Maybe Dick Grayson could fall in love... no wait: he was in Jump City and he was Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, 24/7. Not only was it actually easier, he liked it that way. It was something he shared with the other four members of the Teen Titans: Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire. The rules were different now and Batman was not the boss of him anymore.

After the mental gymnastics, he surmised that everything was all right and that he just needed to be with Star. No matter what. He was a better person, a better leader because of her. Oh he was so attracted to her, and just being close to her was overwhelming at times. So for the moment at least he pushed aside the concerns over the "big picture" and what Batman would say. He finally was able to concentrate on a much more important item: Star's birthday.

His goal for her birthday was to make her happy, and there was nothing more wonderful than being with a happy Starfire. Robin was concerned he wasn't showing her how he felt. Although he could never make up for every time he had pushed her away, he was trying very hard to show her he didn't do it to hurt her. Considering it more, he knew how often he upset her with his single-mindedness about being a hero. Things were improving since Tokyo, and he was determined that they were going to continue that way.

Brain storming and looking on the computer, Robin kept at his research for his "secret project". He was given wide berth and had allotted himself plenty of time to prepare but nothing was coming to him and he knew that he was continuing to over-think this. Mixed in with his lack of ideas was his concern over any future failure and he started to get out of sorts. Again. But not in a good way. His first thought was to go to the gym and get lost in endorphines, but that would just be running away. He had to get things moving, her birthday was only a little more than two weeks away.

Maybe more time with Starfire would help him figure something out. It could never hurt.

He really had to keep reminding himself about that little insight...

He walked into Ops and took a seat on the other edge of the couch to watch her. Sitting back and seeing her play with Silkie made him think of her love of animals. How the Beast Boy Kitty would always made her happy - well, almost always. A trip to the zoo or the marine animal park? No, too easy, too obvious and just not special enough. Oh, and not private enough. Although the citizens of Jump were used to the Titans and tended not to pester them when they were out at the mall or the pizza place, there has been a ground swell of interest in Robin and Starfire's budding romance. Yeah, a little privacy would be a key component to what he'd plan for the two of them, too.

Although he was thinking about her and was focused on her, Starfire was actually a little hurt that he did not sit next to her when he sat down. She looked up briefly and then back down. He had been gone for hours thinking about her and planning for her birthday, but she did not realize this. It took about six glances and two sighs before Robin realized he was doing it again, ignoring her when he had something on his mind, even when the something on his mind was her.

Robin got up and sat next to her and smiled at her, touching the back of her arm. Her entire persona changed: her eyes brightened as she smiled, she sat back and opened her shoulders. Even though they were in a common area, Robin leaned in and kissed lips and said, "Hey you, I've missed you today".

"You have? You have been doing the hard work and I was certain I would not see you until at least dinner," Starfire replied.

"I didn't mean to ignore you Star, but we were gone a while in Tokyo. Not that it wasn't worth being-"

"Framed for the murder of the Saico-Tek which was merely an ink creation?" Starfire said with a smirk.

"Among other things. I finally got a chance to kiss you, to admit that we could be 'more'."

"If we knew that was all it would have taken, perhaps something could have been arranged sooner-"

"Hey!" His protests were punctuated with a tickling assault to her ribs. Not a great diversionary tactic when your opponent is super strong and can fly away. And you are ticklish as well. Breaking away and then flitting back and forth in the air, Starfire became a tickling divebomber of sorts and Robin didn't stand a chance.

"Stop, you're killing me! Uncle!"

"Uncle?"

"Truce. I surrender."

"Very well. You yield too easily." She had a bit of a pout.

"Only to you."

"I am your Kryptonite?"

"Something like that," he chuckled. But I'm sorry I have to spend so much time going through all the paperwork and everything to get us caught up again".

"I admire your dedication to our work, Robin. You are a very strong and resourceful leader. On Tamaran, what you call the ethic of work would be of legend. A leader of your ability would be revered by many."

Robin smiled at the compliment. Yeah, she wasn't bad for his ego.

He grinned. "Thank you Starfire."

"I welcome you."

He kissed her nose and smiled, "The correct phasing would be, 'you're welcome'."

"Humph," she replied, feigning hurt feelings. "I compliment you and you do the mocking of me!"

A quick smile reassured him.

"Actually, Star, I know how smart you are. I think you _might occasionally_ make errors in your English to make sure I'm paying attention."

"Well, Robin, if you were not the distracted so often, perhaps I would not need such strategies to ensure such attention," she said playfully.

They looked at each other intently, Starfire's smile leaving her face as another very different expression appeared. For a moment Robin was concerned that she would be able to figure out what was on his mind. In a way to deflect that, and because he really wanted to, he leaned in to kiss her again, and this time things were quite passionate between them. The deepening kiss ignited his desire for her, which he honestly found overwhelming, especially in the middle of the day.

He ended the kiss and hugged her very tightly and whispered in her ear, "Wow - that was, wow... We are still in Ops, by the way"

He pulled back to look in her eyes and gave her a wink.

"I agree," Starfire said in a husky tone with dreamy look in her eye, "that was definitely the 'wow'".

Robin made a mental note to pull the surveillance video. It was hardly a secret that Batman kept tabs on his protégé and it would be only more fodder for the barrage of "Don't Date a Teammate" correspondences from the Dark Knight.

"Hey Starfire, have you eaten?"

"No, I have not, Robin."

"It is getting on to 2 o'clock. Interested in joining me in a late lunch?"

Even though they were a couple, a simple invitation like that thrilled her.

"I would like that very much Robin! We should also get you outside, it is a glorious day!"

"That's probably a good idea".

Robin took a moment to flip through the channels. Never hurts to check the news outlets for the sign of trouble. Nothing interesting so he continued to go through, and came across ESPN. And then it clicked. Horses! Star would love seeing horses.

"Hey Star, have you ever seen a horse race?" he asked her casually.

"No, I have not. It does sound quite exciting!"

"Well, the Preakness is on this afternoon - we should watch it. Its one of the most competitive horse races there is. But it's not until 3:30 so we have a chance to get outside and also to eat something."

TtTtTtTtTt

After some time down by the bay and a quick lunch it was time to watch the Preakness, and to gauge her reaction to horses.

"You know, they call Thoroughbred horse racing 'the Sport of Kings'," Robin added to the lengthy explanation he had given her of the sport. An explanation that of course was peppered with Starfire's many questions.

"But I am a princess and never heard of it..." She stopped there and her eyes locked on the screen, intent on viewing the horses in the Post Parade. "Wow the horses are beautiful!"

"They are..." _But not as beautiful as you._

"You know, I have never been near one. It must be glorious to sit on such a magnificent beast!"

"It's a lot of fun."

"You have ridden a horse Robin?"

"Yeah Star, but when I was a lot younger. Not something I've had time for lately."

"And did you race?"

"Oh, no, nothing quite as fast as that."

He knew she would continue to have a million questions and his mind was reeling about how great it would be to have Star ride a horse on her birthday. He was so relieved that he had actually come up with a viable idea for a way to spend their birthday together. Not wanting to tip his hand, he changed the subject.

"Hey, its still really early - why don't we catch a five o'clock movie?"

"That would be wonderful! Can I pick the movie?"

"Of course, Star," he responded with a chuckle.

TtTtTtTtTt

Over the following days, Star did bring up horses, well, a lot. It was interesting though - although she asked Robin questions, as she always did, she also did a great deal of research on her own, and just like so many girls (although most would be younger than she was), she fell madly in love with horses.

Robin had a good idea what to do, but how was he going to find someone with horses that Star could spend time with? He first thought about calling Batman, he - or rather Bruce Wayne - would knew people with horses out near Jump City. But there were two big problems, the first that although Robin was an accomplished rider as part of his Pentathlon training, he learned to ride as Dick Grayson and under the care of Bruce Wayne. He couldn't take Starfire to a date as Dick, and there is no way she could pull off being anyone but Starfire without a hologram ring and he really wanted to spend the day with Starfire, not a hologram. The additional issue with talking to Batman was bringing up why he was looking to spend time with horses and that would just lead to another entirely unwelcome discussion of his relationship with Starfire.

Then Robin remembered a case from over a year ago. It was easy to forget considering that it was soon after the end of the world with Trigon. It was a quick run really. Kitten - yes,_ that_ Kitten - had decided her life was incomplete and it was unfair because her daddy, Killer Moth, never got her a pony. So she and Fang went out to a horse farm in a secluded canyon out about an hour's drive from Jump. In the middle of her fit that none of the "nice horsies" were, well, being nice to her, she set the barn on fire. Luckily, the fire had just been set when the Titans arrived and they were able to get all the horses out before any of them were harmed. Starfire and Raven went into the burning stable and opened the stall doors, letting all of the horses out into the paddock and out of harms way.

"You and that Alien ruin all my fun, Robbie-Poo!" Kitten had said.

Robin responded, "Fang, I know it is bad luck to harm a spider, especially in a barn, but you're going down".

After some struggle, Starfire had subdued Kitten and Robin had tied up Fang with one of his quite a few BatZip ties. Things wrapped up quickly once fire and police arrived. Starfire was very concerned about the horses' safety, and Robin spent the trip back to the tower reassuring her that everything would be okay with them.

The owner of the property had sent two letters to the Tower to thank the Titans. The first was a regular thank you correspondence and an offer to contribute to the Titan's operating budget. It turned out that the owner had about twenty-five Warmbloods, mostly Dutch Warmbloods and Hanoverians, some imported from Europe. He had bred three horses that were successful in the Olympic Three Day Event and also owned a new import Dutch Stallion that was a rising star in the Jumper Ranks.

The second correspondence came while the team was in Tokyo, and included an invitation to the grand opening of the new barn to replace the one lost during Kitten's attack on the barn. It included a $25,000 check as a donation to the Titans (yet to be cashed) and Robin realized he had yet to thank the barn owner.

Robin called the owner, Mr. J.P. Davis, and asked to come out himself to personally thank him for the donation and to see the facility and set up an appointment to go out that afternoon. He took the R-cycle and was actually able to sneak out while the girls and BB were at the mall of shopping. Cy knew something was up and Robin actually felt it was safe to tell him he was scoping out a place to take Starfire for her birthday, as Cy had been working hard not to tease Robin about Starfire. Well, not to tease him too much.

TtTtTtTtTt

The drive out to the farm was good for Robin. It was a nice break to be out on his own and on his bike, not able to worry about paperwork, training, or The Titan Network.

By the time he was twenty minutes or so out from Jump City, there was little traffic and Robin could open up a bit and speed down the road. The landscape continued to change to more barren, more arid as he headed toward the canyon.

_Why the name Falling Leaves Farm?_ he wondered. As he pulled up the long and actually tree lined drive, he sort of got his answer, but he still made a mental note to ask where the name came from. He also noted how quiet it was there, not like the hum of activities that other barns he had been to had. Perfect...

Mr. Davis met him in the driveway. He was a man probably in his early 60's, about Robin's height and build and with an often seen farmer's ruddy complexion. He wore a baseball cap, a light blue oxford, jeans and worn jodphur boots.

They shook hands as Mr. Davis said, "We cannot thank you enough for everything you did for us last year."

"Thank you so much for your correspondences, and we're so sorry we missed the barn warming party," Robin replied.

"Why don't I show you the facilities now?" the owner asked with a warm smile.

"That would be great." As they walked down the road Robin continued, "Thank you for the generous donation and I do apologize again for not contacting you sooner."

"It is my pleasure. What an awful experience. We lost the barn of course, but all the horses survived and no one was harmed and that's the most important thing."

"All the horses were fine? None of them injured? That's good to hear," Robin replied. "How many horses are there here Mr. Davis?"

"Please, call me J.P., Robin. There are actually thirty-two right now. That includes five of the seven foals that we bred this year that are already on the ground now."

They walked over a ridge and looked down to a large barn. Further out there were double-lined fences broken up into smaller paddocks that contained a few horses each. It was a beautiful sight. Although there wasn't the lush blue grass of Kentucky or the bright green grass of the MidAtlantic countryside back East, the scene was breathtaking in its own right. The land was not completely devoid of grass and the ground's beige to red clay offset the white fences and the deep brown of the creosote-stained turn-out shelters.

There were a few chestnut and gray horses scattered throughout the population, but most of the horses were bays, brown horses with black manes, tails, and legs. They stood enjoying the California sunshine, nibbling at grass. A few of the foals were turned out with their mothers, taking awkward leaps, bounding about on their long wobbly legs.

Mr. Davis showed Robin his barn, and as they entered, Robin could see a beautiful bay mare and the two fuzzy little foal ears behind the stall doors.

"Is it okay if I reach in to pet them?" the Boy Wonder asked.

"Sure, but the little one can be a bit of a nipper, even though he barely has any teeth yet."

Robin reached in and scratch along the baby's neck, hitting the perfect spot as the colt leaned into his hand. "Hey little guy," Robin said to him quietly.

"You seem very comfortable around horses," JP observed.

"I actually rode a lot when I was younger, training for pentathlon." Robin said of modern version of the sport that combines swimming, running, fencing, shooting and riding.

"That's an interesting sport, not too common here."

"Nor is it really common anywhere, and I was competing in the under 12 age group, so there wasn't a lot of competition at all."

"Hey - quick question - with the shooting, isn't Batman anti-gun?"

"Yes he is," Robin replied with a chuckle, "but I was allowed to practice on the range. They use air rifles, but I know he still had some qualms about it."

The tour continued with JP pointing out some of the fine points of the barn, and also showed him pictures of some of the horses they had bred.

"Wow, you've bred some incredible horses," Robin said as they leafed through the standard 8" x 10" show photographer's shots from horse shows from all over the world.

"Thank you. We are very fortunate."

They walked outside, and came to the fence line.

"It's so peaceful here - it can't be always this quiet. Don't you have any help?"

"We are early risers. We have the work done early, my help goes home by noon, and then we settle into a quiet afternoon with just me and my wife. It's perfect."

_Might as well just go ahead and ask_, Robin thought. "This may be presumptuous, but may I ask for a favor?"

"Sure. Wait... you want to ride, don't you? Because I have the perfect horse you can get on..."

Robin shook his head 'no' and also waved him off, "No, but thank you. Actually, I was hoping I could bring my girlfriend Starfire to the farm on her birthday, just to pet the horses. She has never seen one in person."

"Never?"

"Well, she wasn't born here and they do not have horses or anything like them on Tamaran."

"Oh that's right, I know which one she is. She's beautiful by the way, you're a lucky man, Robin." Robin smiled, pleased he didn't blush like he used to and JP continued, "Of course you can come. Spend the day with us. I can even let you both ride."

"Really? You have quiet enough horses?"

"These guys are all broke to death, anyone can ride them using verbal commands. We'd be honored to have you, we owe so much to the Titans. It would be our pleasure."

"Great, perfect, I can't thank you enough," Robin said, shaking JP's hand, "Her birthday is June 4th."

"Perfect - it's a Monday - Horseman's day off and all - and I'll make sure that things won't be too busy that day. No visitors, all the help home early. I'll make sure you'll have your privacy. I imagine you get a lot of extra attention now that you too are a couple."

"We are beginning to," Robin said, trying not to roll his eyes, not that anyone we see it with his mask on. That was one thing about dating Starfire openly he could really do without. Not that she wasn't worth it. "I'm going to surprise her with this, she'll be thrilled. I really appreciate it, J.P. I think we would get here after lunch, maybe 1:30 or so. Can I call you to discuss he details?"

Robin was excited and a bit more animated than usual. J.P. laughed and said something about "young love."

Robin thanked him again hopped on the R-cycle for the ride home. He felt so accomplished - he had a plan for Star's perfect birthday and it was still over a week away.

TtTtTtTtTt

To Be Continued...

TtTtTtTtTt


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note 2/15/2013: I'm adding a note to all my fics to tell my readers that yes, all fics will be finished and I am writing. Since this past October I've been dealing with a rather serious and scary health issue. I had medical treatment starting in December and surgery in the beginning of January. E****ven though the outcome was better than expected, t**here is more treatment and surgery likely to come. _

_****__My head and heart just isn't always in my writing, and I refuse to just post something for the sake of it, but there are pieces completed of each fic__, so just hang in there for me. Thanks._

_Edited 6/4/2012_

Welcome back to my story. As you'll see for those who know the comicverse, especially the New Teen Titans run of the 1980's, I have included some of the lore from the comics as well as the Teen Titans cartoon and the accompanying Teen Titans Go! comics into this story.

**Disclaimer: Teen Titans are the property of DC Comics and the cartoon was produced through Warner Brothers for Cartoon Network. **

**Warning: Rated T.**

_Adapted from Wikipedia:_ **Fête **is a French word that is used in English. While mostly used in the USA for a country fair or other such event, the original meaning of fête is party, festival or celebration.

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**JUNE FETE **

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**Chapter 2 **

**.**

**I've Got a Secret**

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"Robin calling Cyborg, Robin calling Cyborg, come in Cyborg," Robin called into the Tower on his T-comm.

The rest of the team was gathered on the sofa, awaiting one of their favorite shows, 'Wipeout' that would be on within the hour. "Cyborg here, Robin. What's the situation?"

"The situation is that the Pizza Palace has advised me that they are out of sausage and are hoping you will go with double pepperoni on your two meatlover's pizzas instead." A dire situation indeed.

"Is that the best they can do for us?" Cyborg asked.

There was a pause before Robin's reply. "Our sodas are free tonight." Apparently there was some hard bargaining. At least there wasn't some sort of stand off. Fortunately for all of them, Robin was a practiced negotiator.

"It will have to do. Cyborg out."

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Starfire twisted her fingers nervously. She hated her insecurity. Not that Robin gave her reasons to be insecure; well, he did, but not on purpose. Robin did get caught up in being leader, and with certain cases, and in the goings on with the BatFamily back in Gotham.

What tipped the scales this time was that there was something else going on, some other project that was diverting a great deal of his time and energy. She knew it, or at least she hoped that was what it was. Robin had been so secretive about that afternoon, going off on his motorcycle for about three and a half hours (not that she was counting...). Another girl? Never. He was on the internet a lot too... Was that even possible? No, he wouldn't. That wasn't the kind of person he was.

Starfire's mind reeled. Then she brightened at a thought: _My present! He knows it will soon be the day of my birth and Earthlings do make such the big deal about the birthday, especially when it is the one of their Beloved! He must have been shopping for my birthday present! _

Now she fought the opposite emotion from moments before: containing her joy at the thought of a present from her boyfriend.

TtTtTtTtTt

Starfire did her best to contain herself, but found it difficult, although even Robin was unaware of her unsettled state. It was quite a raucous pizza dinner as they watched the ridiculous game show as the contestants humiliated themselves on national television. The object of the show was to see who among a group of people could negotiating obstacle courses of increased difficulty and intensity successfully in the fastest time. The contestants, all regular humans without powers, or for that matter athletic ability or much coordination, were all failing miserably to make it through the courses and had to make repeated attempts to do so. It was often quite painful to watch.

After dinner was over, Starfire headed down to the gym. For a Tamaranean who felt emotions so profoundly, worrying about Robin going off doing who-knows-what without a word to anyone and then feeling the joy that maybe he was looking for a present for her, left her feeling something akin to whiplash with a side dish of vertigo.

"There you are," Robin said as he came into the gym. Apparently it was Starfire's turn to be secretive. "I've been looking all over for you. It's not like you to miss a sunset. Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Robin."

"Starfire-" Robin started. He had heard this tone before, the 'I'm-saying-everything-is-fine, but-it-actually-isn't' tone. He wondered if he was about to hear that this was another time that she did not know when people were speaking about shovels.

She turned away, "Oh, I am not fine, I am a little of the off tonight. I must admit that I was upset that you did the disappearing this afternoon and were gone so long. You have been the distracted lately and secretive."

He cupped her chin and turned her face to his and Robin gave her a reassuring smile, "Trust me on this, _you_," which he accentuated with a kiss on Starfire's nose, "have nothing to worry about." To be sure he thought he better tip his hand a bit, "Not to give anything away, but do you have any idea how hard it is to shop for your girlfriend who just happens to be an alien princess and the most incredible person on this or any other planet?"

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. _Well that should certainly should placate her for a while_...

Robin smirked when he got an idea about how to spend the evening. After all, they were already in the gym. "Now, why don't we each change into our Gi's and practice our hand-to-hand techniques?"

"Wonderful! I shall be but a moment!" Starfire replied as she flew to the locker room to change. They each loved these sessions but could only have them in the late evenings or when the others were out of the Tower. They started out as a Judo style match, but soon it morphed into something akin to Greco-Roman wrestling. It would wind up with one of them pinning the other down on the mat to engage in some serious kissing. They hadn't been caught yet, but sooner or later a green fly or lizard or an electronic hand armed with state-of-the art surveillance equipment was bound to catch them.

TtTtTtTtTt

"Aw, come'on Star, we have to have a party. We've never had one for you! Please?" Beast Boy said prior to morphing into his Beast Boy Kitty, the one that usually persuaded her.

It was a few days later and it wasn't the first time the party had come up. She had tried the Earth method of saying "No thank you" and "It is too much trouble". She even moved on to the slightly firmer, "Please do not bother". So far, those tactics were not swaying Cyborg and Beast Boy. Cyborg was itching to man the grill and Beast Boy was dying to try out some of his new jokes on some new unsuspecting victims, or rather, the other Titans.

Starfire had finally said a flat out no, and she had received this argument back. She had trained with the Warlords of Okaaran and could stand her ground with the Oans, the Guardians of the Universe. How could Beast Boy manage not to yield to her?

Starfire loved parties, so that was what confused Cyborg and Beast Boy. It was far beyond the fact that Starfire had no interest in a birthday party for herself. There were no birthday parties on Tamaran, and this birthday, her 18th, well, it was not a day to celebrate, and certainly not with a party. If she were home, her life would be likely to change drastically on that date in a way that she might not want. It would be likely that if she were home that a marriage would have been arranged if she hadn't already been married to some green blob or some snotty prince who already had a girlfriend.

Or, she reminded herself, another life changing decision made might be made for her: She could have become Empress; She could have been chosen to lead the Great Armies of Tamaran; She could have been negotiated away again to serve another more powerful empire to seal a sham of a treaty.

Yes, her freedom had been stolen from her when she was still a child, when she was given over by her own family as a slave to the Citadel. By a combination of will, strength, power, luck, and resilience, she was now free and on Earth. And there was no way that would let anything like that happen again. And she was certain Robin would move Heaven and Earth if she failed to keep herself from being captured again. She was at the age of majority, she wanted to embrace her independence and celebrate quietly with the man that she loved.

Love. In a culture that celebrated love and embraced emotion, to be with the person one loved was not the norm on Tamaran, at least for royalty, especially for the Princess. She didn't dare hope it was permanent at this stage, although occasionally would fantasize that it was, but she did treasure what she had and wanted to cherish every moment she had with Robin.

Lost in thought, she finally was brought back to reality to a soft, inquisitive, meow.

"Pardon me Beast Boy, but I must go."

Beast Boy morphed back, "But Star, you haven't agreed to the party and people wanna come! What am I gonna do?"

Starfire said nothing and ran down the hall, unable to fly after thinking about her days as a captive. Tears pricked her eyes. She hated to disappoint her friends, but a party was not how she wanted to spend the day. If that was her only option, she would rather not want to acknowledge the day at all.

TtTtTtTtTt

Sensing the emotional turmoil, Raven phased through the floor. Beast Boy let out the yelp of a canine even while maintaining his human form when the half-demon appeared. His pressuring of Starfire to have a birthday party was not doing wonders for the first baby steps of _their_ relationship.

"Beast Boy," she started, working to keep her tone non-threatening: that involuntary submissive peeing thing was so awkward for them and they really didn't want to have to explain it to anyone else on the team. "We've talked about respecting Starfire's culture. Most of the 'fun' things that happen here on Earth she loves. But she's like me on this one. She doesn't want a birthday party. I can feel it, can't you pick up on it? She exudes sadness and apprehension when it comes to that, for whatever reason."

"We've never gotten a chance to give her a party, Rae. And remember, even you enjoyed yours eventually once we-"

"Not the point," Raven said firmly. "Leave it alone. Make sure everyone knows that there is no birthday party because I am sure you've already invited everyone already. Have a Fourth of July Party instead. It's only a month away. But brush up on your history first," Raven remarked, remembering BB's take on things when they fought Mad Mod after he changed the US's history for a time.

Beast Boy took a deep breath and started right in, "So the Tea Party was in 1492-"

"The _Boston_ Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773," Raven quickly corrected, "when American Colonists refused to pay for or return boats full of taxed tea to the British, but instead they tossed into Boston Harbor in protest. It was one of the Colonists many acts of defiance against the British. The Fourth of July or Independence Day is considered America's birthday and is based on the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776."

Beast Boy leaned over and gave Raven a kiss on the cheek, "I love it when you're smart".

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"You know, if I didn't know better Star, I'd think you were avoiding me these past few days," Robin said as he hugged Starfire from behind. He was thankful for a recent growth spurt that allowed him to rest his chin on her shoulder, and with his steel-toed boots on, he even had to stoop a tiny bit.

It was late and Robin found Starfire on the roof. Of course it should have been the first place he looked and she had headed there as she always did when she was upset. Starfire looked out over the night sky toward the ocean. She looked that way more often than she did toward Jump City, and she always looked that way when she thought about her home world.

Starfire gave a sigh that was not completely content but her body relaxed in a way that let Robin know that he was needed. After she remain quiet for a few more minutes he said, "I will pay six grubfar for your thoughts."

Starfire giggled softly and turned and hugged Robin tightly. At least she had finally figured out that human were breakable and her hugs were much less painful. He soon felt her tears. "What's wrong, Star?"

Ready for another shovel discussion, Robin was pleased with Starfire's directness, "I do not wish to upset or disappoint our friends, but I do not want to have a party of birthdays. Beast Boy insists but I do not desire one. Is it something I must do to become 18? Is it an adult passage of the right? Am I a bad friend?"

Robin chuckled at the garbled idiom and hugged her closer before loosening his hold so he could look her in the eyes. "No Star, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. It isn't part of any 'rite of passage' when you turn 18. If you don't want a party, we won't have one. It's your decision."

"Thank you Robin," she said softly and hugged him tightly again. He was certainly curious as to why she was resistant to a party, because Starfire certainly enjoyed any and all get togethers, but he decided know was not the time to ask and he would pursue it later.

Robin was suddenly concerned, did she not want to celebrate at all? She seemed like she wanted to at least acknowledge the day, didn't she?

"Kory," she always brightened with the use of the nickname from her birth name, "is there anything you'd like to do on your birthday?"

She blushed and smiled at Robin, "May I spend it with you? I-I mean alone, just you and me?" she replied tentatively.

"Absolutely," Robin said smiling at her, his eyes alternating between looking into her eyes and then at her lips, "and you know what?"

"What?" she managed softly, anticipating for the inevitable kiss that normally went along with the way Robin was looking at her right then.

He leaned up and whispered into her ear, "That's what I had planned all along."

Starfire let out a bit of a happy squeal, and then in a low, purring tone, she answered in his ear, "That makes me very, very happy, Robin."

Not willing to wait for Robin to initiate a kiss, she followed that up with a kiss that showed just how happy she was.

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Raven had spent much of the next day's down time, that is the time between alarms, keeping Cyborg and Beast Boy quiet. Just when one was behaving the other brought the party up again, hoping to browbeat Starfire into capitulating. Robin was in his office and was of no help at all. Had he been aware, perhaps things would have been different, Raven kept thinking, but she chose not to pester him.

Starfire began to see the entertainment value in Raven's bolts of black energy, wedgies courtesy of a black energy claw, and black energy X's as muzzles. It was a good way to distract herself: as much as she would have hated her birthday if she were still on Tamaran, she couldn't remember a time she was more excited in her life.

To further distract herself, soon Starfire started using ministarbolts to deflect a stankball or two to influence the game Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing; apparently 'Referee Raven' never saw them. The same tactic worked well in Foosball and pool as well. It certainly would have had a spectacular effect on it, but Starfire knew better than to try anything like that with the GameStation.

Missions broke up the monotony – or was it the breaks between the missions? Finally the point got across and a dejected Beast Boy and Cyborg made plans to have a MegaMonkeys 3.2 tournament and cover the city with Raven on Starfire's birthday rather than have a party, so all was not lost.

And the nights, well the nights were special as they had been for the previous few weeks. As was accepted in Starfire's culture if not expected, once they had declared their love, Robin and Starfire spent their nights together in Robin's room. This was certainly fine with Robin, who was painfully aware he might not see much of his alien princess otherwise. She found that the peculiar way of elevating one's head on a pillow rather than allowing it to dangle off the side of the bed was actually comfortable. Robin was relieved that she was content that way because it was much easier to snuggle when they were able to be side by side.

As far as the romantic side of things went, they weren't progressing quickly, but kissing Robin gave her more joy than she could have thought possible. Who knew kissing offered something beyond the utilitarian aspects of language acquisition? At this point, it was hard for Starfire to imagine the feelings that would accompany anything more intimate. She was honestly a bit scared to find out, and Robin certainly wasn't pressuring her. They had discussed it and he had basically the same feelings she did, that taking it slowly was working for them and with both of them on board with the status quo, things were as uncomplicated as possible at least in that department for two teenagers.

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Starfire barely gave it a second thought when she woke up on that Monday morning June 4th to find the other half of her bed empty. It wasn't unusual that Robin was up before the sun, whether readying the course for combat practice, organizing files, completing police reports or any number of other tasks. She had missed the sunrise, as she sometimes did, having chosen to sleep in. As it turned out, everyone got a present that day: in honor of Starfire's birthday, combat training had been canceled. She imagined that no one would see Beast Boy for hours.

Her morning routine began with a shower and all the related beautification that went along with it. Next, Starfire put on a rather small bikini and began her ritual of soaking up the sun's rays. The sun rose in the East, so Cyborg had replaced her windows with one way glass, so that no one across the Bay in Jump could observe her as she faced in their direction.

Because the UV radiation provided Starfire with the energy that she used for some of her powers, it was more efficient for her to do this naked. Soon after they began to share a room, Robin walked in on her to find her floating and naked. Needless to say, he got a_ very_ nice view. She often thought of that time with a grin. _Robin was so adorable when he blushed; I still cannot believe how Earthlings react to the nakedness. It took him a number of seconds to move or say anything. I thought Robin was somehow damaged by the sight of me unclothed. Fortunately, I soon found out that this was not the case..._

Since that time she wore the bikini, needing to increase her time absorbing the sun's rays by about 10% to compensate for the surface area of her body that was covered. On that morning, she was still in her bikini, a sight that Robin would both appreciate and have to contend with, when she heard a knock at the door.

"It's me, Starfire, can I come in?" Robin asked.

"Certainly, Robin."

Robin let himself in, balancing a tray table.

"What is all this?" Starfire asked, as she eyed the tray laden with a number of dishes, some covered with silver lids, a bottle of mustard and a vase with a dozen red roses.

Robin grinned. "It's an Earth tradition known as 'breakfast in bed'. I had hoped to have things together before you got up but I had to referee the usual meat verses tofu nonsense..." and then under his breath, "I really have to figure out a proper reprimand and get them to stop, that has gone on far, far too long."

"Robin," Starfire said, interrupting his tangential train of thought, "can you tell me more about this bed breakfast?"

Robin placed the tray on her bedside table and turned back to Starfire, taking both her hands, giving her a sly smile, "Well, it's generally a romantic gesture, when one person brings the person they love their favorite breakfast to eat just after they awaken. It is usual done on a special occasion, to mark a birthday or anniversary."

He let go of one of her hands so he could rub the back of his neck in embarrassment that he missed the mark with the timing. "I'm sorry I was late," he stepped in for a lingering kiss and then lead her back to the bed and helped her under the covers. She decided she already liked the tradition very much and his tardiness didn't make any difference to her at all.

He picked up the tray and opened the legs and settled it over her knees. He set the flowers on the bedside table, and then went around the bed to his side, and settled in next to her. He then proceeded to go over what had been prepared for her.

"First, because we are out of zorkaberries at the moment, we have your favorite substitute, cranberry-grapefruit mash."

"Mmm, that is wonderful Robin!" Starfire said, doing her best to hold her Tamaranean table manners in check.

Then Robin lifted one of the plate's silver covers, "Next, we have another favorite of yours, a swordfish, onion, peanut butter and pineapple omelet."

"Robin, it's my favorite breakfast treat! I cannot believe you remembered! And you must have made a special trip to the fish market!"

_Like I could ever forget _that_ combination._ "Anything for you, Star," Robin said as he snuck in another lingering kiss. He needed to be sure to get that in before she actually started to _eat_ the omelet. "And there is also your, uh, well done wheat toast with gravy and orange marmalade." Crumbled and black, it wasn't considered toast as far as Starfire was concerned unless the fire alarms had gone off.

"Thank you, thank you! This is such a spectacular idea!" Starfire leaned in a gave Robin a particular impassioned kiss that left them a bit breathless.

Robin cleared his throat on the second attempt and said, "Well, I guess I'm going to come up with more special occasions to serve you breakfast in bed if that's the kind of response I get."

"And perhaps I shall make the bed breakfast for you sometimes," Starfire purred.

Robin did his best to not let his face reflect the visceral response to _that_ thought and to cover for himself he leaned in and gave her a kiss that made him forget about Starfire's cooking or for that matter, food in general.

"On second thought," Starfire said in a light tone as soon as she recovered from that kiss, "I will ask Cyborg to do the cooking for the bed breakfast for you until I gain a better grasp for the cooking of Earth food. This _is _supposed to be a pleasant experience, is it not?"

Robin chuckled, "Yes it is." He loved her ability to use self-deprecating humor. She was fitting in on Earth more and more.

"And Robin, what is under the other silver cover?"

"Well that would be _my_ breakfast," Robin said and added in a teasing tone, "you wouldn't want your boyfriend to starve, would you?"

"Certainly not!" Starfire added, doing her best to feign shock. "Nor do I wish to break the fast alone."

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After breakfast, Robin told Starfire that she should wear jeans and comfortable shoes, and to meet him in the garage. After changing into an outfit as instructed, she met him in the garage where he was waiting in similar attire by the R-cycle, packed and ready to go, and she smiled as she eyed the picnic basket.

It was a perfect day for a motorcycle ride. That part of California tended to be dry and that particular June day was not too warm, so the protection of a leather jacket didn't mean becoming overheated.

As much as Starfire loved to fly, there was something so incredibly enjoyable about riding with Robin on his R-cycle. Sure they had ridden together for literally years before they were a couple, but now that they were a couple, it was far better than she had ever fantasized it would be as she snuggled as close to him as she wanted. And Robin had no complaints either.

After a leisurely drive out into the canyons, Robin took Starfire to a secluded nature preserve and park that he had discovered while driving out to visit the farm. It was lovely there and they hiked for about an hour and a half and then enjoyed a light lunch. Being that it was not close to any residential or industrial area and that it was a weekday, they were the only ones there, and for the first time in weeks, they were out in public and actually had privacy.

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Once back on the road, Robin headed toward the farm, but because it was a surprise, said nothing but rather simply headed in a northeasterly direction. Soon, Starfire tugged on Robin's sleeve, their way of communicating that there was something important to talk about, something that was better said while stopped at the side of the road rather than shouted over the engine and road noise.

Once Robin had pulled over and turned back to face her, Starfire said, "But Robin, the Tower, our home is the other way," the concern in her voice was coupled with a cock of her head in confusion.

Robin took off his helmet and gave her a dashing smile and touched her chin in front of the helmet strap, "Starfire, did you really think that your birthday celebration with me would end with a hike in the canyon and a picnic lunch? Not that we haven't had a wonderful time so far, but you deserve much more."

"There is more, really?" Starfire enthused, clapping her hands in excitement.

Robin chuckled, he was so pleased he was making her happy, "Yes, Star, there is. Shall we get back on the road and see what our next stop is?"

"Yes, please!"

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Starfire had rarely seen this part of the area, and when she had, it was from the sky or at night. She took in the beauty as the colors changed, as the vegetation grew sparser. On their hike and picnic, she had observed numerous lizard, bird and rodent species she was unfamiliar with, and she wondered what other animals were here in this environment. The land was different than she had seen, but so beautiful in it own way.

Further into the canyons, the rust color of the soil with areas completely devoid of vegetation was not so different from the purple-brown steppes and plains of her beloved Tamaran. This left her both joyous and melancholy. She had expected no place on Earth to look remotely like her Tamaran, and she knew that some day, some other time, she would need to come out here again and reflect. But now was not the time. It was her birthday and her wonderful Robin was spending the day with her, and she could not imagine of a more wondrous gift.

Lost in her thoughts, Starfire didn't see what was ahead of them until Robin had stopped the R-cycle at the entry to the long tree-lined drive that lead into the horse farm.

Robin turned back in time to catch Starfire's reaction. She read the engraved royal blue and kelly green sign, "Falling Leaves Farm?" She paused as she looked over the vista and out toward the paddocks and fields. She gasped, "There are horses here! Are we going to see them? Close up?"

"Yes, Star."

"Oh, Robin!"

"In fact, we are going to spend the day here. We can do whatever we want. If you are up for it, you can pet them, brush them, and you can even ride one."

Star's eyes were wide, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really?"

"Yes, really Star," Robin assured her.

"Robin, this is the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me, thank you!"

"You're welcome. Now let's get down there, and introduce you to some horses."

"Glorious!"

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To Be Continued...

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End file.
